Blood and Iron
by Thunderslate
Summary: The New Frontier and the Delta are at war.
1. Chapter 1

_**Please note:** This story includes multiple changes to the plotline of A New Frontier. Many are minor changes, the main plotline is mostly unaltered, but several character fates have been changed for the sake of this story._

* * *

"We're losing an outpost every few weeks! This can't go on-"

"-Nine frontiersmen dead in the last fortnight, and those that actually _lived _have the medics running on fumes..!"

"-They're finding new soldiers every day, Lord knows where the heck from, and if we don't even things out soon we ain't gonna be able to hold out for long."

"So, what are we gonna do about it?"

The church fell into an uncomfortable silence as all eyes turned in the direction of Javier Garc**í**a. How he had managed to get himself into this situation, he had no idea. Three years back he had simply been a man trying to survive with his family and now he was at the head of a council meeting, on the top rung of the New Frontier, planning a god damned war.

He tried to avoid the others' gaze without making it obvious. Eyes locked on the double doors at the far end of the room and the flag bearing his group's symbol above it - he still had no idea what the fuck it was supposed to be (someone had told him it was an alchemical symbol?) - he racked his brain for any sign of a plan to deal with the community's enemies, but the cartoonish lightbulb in his head never seemed to flare with inspiration.

How had he got himself into this mess? And more importantly, why was everyone putting their faith in a disgraced baseball player who had bashed a frontiersman's head in with a metal baseball bat hours after first joining the community, then shot their previous leader in the face but a few days after that?

It seemed the New Frontier must have been desperate if they'd decided to cast him in the role of council member.

"_Javi."_

Javier's eyes flitted from the banner above the door to his right - to the face of his brother, David, who had sternly called him out on daydreaming. Oh, _he_ was surely in his element; a soldier from before the dead started climbing out of their graves, now the leader of the New Frontier's militia. He had been since the start of the group, split up from his family at the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse, but things were different now they were at war. David's resolve had been knocked many times since Javier had reunited with him, but he was a tough bastard who didn't roll over for anyone.

"_Javi," _the elder brother asked again, exasperation clear in his voice, "We need your input here. Stop looking like you'd rather be somewhere else."

"Y'know, I _really _kind of would-"

"_Javi._" This time it wasn't a request - it was a warning.

David pressed his palms down flat against the surface of the crate they were using as a makeshift council table and leaned forward, brow furrowed. Javi couldn't help but notice how much his brother had aged in such a short time - once pure brown hair now dusted with white, a now thick beard making him appear even more ancient - but David had been through a lot and hadn't coped well thanks to his ever-present lack of emotional stability. Javi felt that a bit of grey was more than justified.

"Gimme a second, David, I'm trying to… mull it over." He responded. This prompted his elder brother to lean back, but only so that he could clench his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose in frustration. Then a third voice joined the conversation.

"Just wanna remind you that every second we _mull over _this we're losin' folks to the Delta. Time's of the essence, Javi."

Javi's eyes were drawn to Tripp - the tall, broad man to his left. He was a soft-hearted sort of fellow, gentle in a sense, but had previously managed a settlement named Prescott before he joined the council of New Richmond.

The Delta that had been mentioned were the opposition; the group they were warring with. It had been three long years and at this point it was uncertain who had fired the first shot, not to mention _why_, but whatever had occurred on that fateful day had cemented a war. Following that, the Delta had started relentlessly raiding New Frontier settlements, capturing those they didn't kill. The New Frontier was damned if they were going to take it lying down - especially David - and so the frontiersmen rallied themselves and began to strike back.

"Okay," Javi murmured, raising a pensive forefinger and thumb to his chin, "Let's puzzle this out. Where do we go from here?"

A fourth councilman reached forth and tapped the area to the southwest with a skinny finger. "Drive to retake McCarroll is still on schedule," he murmured through a thick texan accent. "No doubt they'll try and seize it back as soon as we regain control."

"So we'll flush them out again," David retorted, resting his hands on his hips. "It's not a risk we can take. We need to keep pushing west or they'll have us backed up against the coast with nowhere to go." He looked the man dead in the eye, "Unless you're hiding a cruise ship up your ass, Os."

"There are more important places to keep a firm grip on," Os grunted, "take the munitions, for example." He tapped a point on the map further south of McCarroll. David was silenced, though the look on his face suggested he wasn't happy about it.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work." Javi scratched his forehead absentmindedly. "We need to bring ammo production here into Richmond."

"We got the manpower to move all those machines?" Tripp asked, then added "-Not that we're _lacking _in that department." As he caught David's glare. The latter had been incredibly paranoid about where the Delta were acquiring more soldiers; it often felt as if two more sprung up every time one died.

"We can do it." Javi confirmed. "If we don't, and the Delta capture the place we're done for...No more guns for us."

"The Delta's coming from the North-west," a woman who had lingered in the background pointed out, pausing momentarily to clear her throat. "To get to the munitions they'd have to bypass several other New Frontier outposts."

David shook his head. "If they found out where it was they'd loop round and head straight there. Losing our guns is a blow we can't afford to take."

"I'm with David." Javi announced. "It's not a risk we can take. We need to get those guys right here in Richmond before the Delta catch wind of their location. Might not be for months, might be tomorrow, but they're gonna find out one way or another."

David patted his brother's shoulder appreciatively, but didn't make eye contact. The two had their differences, and agreeing on something was a rare occurrence.

Tripp leaned back from the makeshift desk they were gathered around and slightly raised an open palm. "I'm on it." he drawled, "I'll send word down there _asap._ Make sure the guys know we're coming for 'em."

"You don't wanna know the rest of the plan?" Javi asked, but Tripp had already turned his back and was breaking into a jog.

"Can't waste a second!" the burly blonde-haired man responded. "I'll see if I can link up with Conrad on the way down. Roads should take a party right down to Harlow anyhow."

"Tell Eleanor you're going, or she'll kill you."

Javi thought it was worth warning Tripp. God knows how long it had taken the guy to break his feelings to his now-girlfriend, and now they were an item they never spent any time together. Tripp was practically choking on council meetings, Eleanor was the head of the infirmary at Richmond, and between them they had a two and a half year old to contend with as well. It hadn't been the wisest choice, but it could hardly be prevented.

Smirking and shaking his head, Javi turned back to David, Os and the other remaining council member, Blanche. Her appearance was demure, but her voice gave away how fierce she truly was. Blunt and to the point, her honesty was much appreciated on the council.

"So… we withdraw munitions from the southwest, but keep the outpost manned so they can't just claim it with no retaliation." David confirmed, palms once again flat against the tabletop as he hunched over the map. "How do we want to proceed with pushing back?"

That was the real question on everyone's minds, and it wasn't an easy one. They had to push against the Delta's advances or their enemies would just take over. Stonewalling them would only buy time for so long; they had to attack back.

"Well," Javi shrugged, "Where can we start? Scouts located any outposts?"

"They've withdrawn for now," David explained. "By now we know that means they're on a recruitment drive."

"But that means they'll be sending some of their men to recruit." Blanche surmised. "If we catch the right place, we might be dealing with a skeleton crew and then we're one more outpost up."

Os scoffed. "Just gotta find out where a damn outpost is and _hope _that's the one that's unmanned, then."

David stayed silent. Javi observed him; his brother's eyes flitting across the map as if hoping they'd provide some sort of clue or answer. The soldier stayed quiet for a precious few minutes, then exhaled deeply and reached for a pen.

"Richmond." He said, circling their location with a scratchy red circle.

"That _is _where we are, yeah-" Javi began.

"Harlow. Marion. Faulkner." David continued circling - this time he was listing off the New Frontier's outposts. "Winchester… Monroe… Fairfield…"

Once he was finished drawing on one of the few maps they had left, David drew a line around the outside of the New Frontier's territory.

"That narrows it down," he murmured. "Now, if I was Delta, where would I be..?"

"Wherever we're not." Blanche stated.

"Wherever we're _very _not if they wanna hold out for long." Javier added.

David tapped the side of his head, perhaps trying to trigger his brain to work faster, then traced his finger from the space between two of the furthest apart frontier settlements and pushed west.

"Jackson." He decided. "They're gonna have an outpost in Jackson."

Javier stared at him, both shocked that David was so confident and yet somehow completely unsurprised by it. "And you know that how…?"

The soldier drew himself up to his full height, unwilling to give any sort of impression he was uncertain. "I just have a feeling."

"We're gon' need more than a feeling." Os pointed out. "This is war, David. Can't just be goin' on a hunch."

"It's an advantageous position." David told him. "We scavenged there once in the early days. Jackson his on high ground, easy to defend - so it'll be easy to leave a small crew during a recruitment drive. We almost set up the New Frontier there, but… we thought it was best to make it all the way to Richmond."

Javi crossed his arms and breathed out, tired. "You seem sure." He admitted. "I hope you're right."

"If we're gonna do it, it's best to send out a scout party first." announced Blanche. "We don't wanna find out there's nothing there."

"There will be." David stated, as if his heart was already set on it. "I know it. And the sooner we push west, the sooner we can put a knife in the heart of whoever's running these Delta fucks."


	2. Chapter 2

After what seemed like weeks - but in reality had only been a few hours - the council of the New Frontier managed to round off their meeting and go their separate ways.

Javi broke through the church's double doors and into the sharp autumnal breeze outside. Fighting against the wind as it attempted to restyle his hair, he placed his hands in his pockets and fiddled around with what little remained inside as he glanced around the town square for signs of life.

His fingers closed around a flat, round object in the left pocket of his aviator jacket. Pulling it out he revealed a poker chip with the New Frontier's odd, circular symbol engraved on it, a piece of string threaded through a hole that had been drilled near its edge. He was incredibly glad the New Frontier had decided to move away from branding their members after he'd joined and instead relied on these small tokens to recognise a frontiersman, or else he'd be marked for life like David was. Not to mention the pain...

Turning over the poker chip in his hand, his gaze was caught by a blur of movement in his peripheral vision. Looking up and across the square, he again saw Tripp - in something of a hurry - with his partner Eleanor in tow. Tripp had noticed him too, and offered a slight raise of his hand in greeting, but his face was marked with concern. Taking that as a request for help, Javier began the short walk over to his companions.

Both Tripp and Eleanor remained quiet as Javi's lips parted slightly to speak, but he wasn't sure where to begin. After a moment's awkward silence, Tripp scuffed the dirty asphalt below his boot nervously.

"Managed to rig up a small party," the large man explained, "Few volunteers to help, and one of the trucks is goin' spare so we can load up the equipment at the ammo outpost. We're gonna giddy up on outta here before it gets dark."

Javier looked from Tripp over to Eleanor and raised his eyebrows at her, silently questioning if she was okay with the father of her child going on what might become a dangerous mission should the Delta make themselves known. Eleanor again opened her mouth to speak, but merely exhaled in frustration, knitted her eyebrows together and looked away.

"It's gonna be _fine, _El," Tripp told her, reassuringly raising his hands. "Prescott was less equipped than we are now, and this is all happenin' inside our own territory."

Eleanor cocked an eyebrow at her partner, then frowned. "Well, if you say so." She mumbled. "Just make sure you're back soon, unharmed. We can't afford another person in the infirmary. _I _can't. And if something happens..." her face fell. Eyes already surrounded by the deep, dark rings signifying overwork, she looked incredibly gaunt.

"Rosie ain't gonna grow up without a dad." Tripp declared. Resting one of his bear-paw-esque hands on her shoulder, he caught her eye and firmly stated "I promise."

Eleanor had been calm up until this point, but his words broke through her resolve and she wrapped her arms around the large man, pressing her cheek against his barrel chest. Tripp caressed the back of her dark-haired head, then waited for her to naturally part from him.

"It's not gonna be dangerous, Eleanor," Javi reaffirmed, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "Tripp'll be back this time tomorrow. We just need to move ammo production into Richmond so that we're safe. It's the _other guys _you have to worry about."

Eleanor regained her stone-faced glare and turned on Javier. "Please tell me David's not championing another raid."

Javier shook his head dismissively. "It's already happening - nothing we can do to stop it." He breathed. "We're gonna send scouts to Jackson within the week and see what we can find. If there's not a Delta outpost there, it'll hopefully still put us on the right trail."

He paused for a moment, Eleanor seemingly wanting to argue the case. A moment after she opened her mouth, however, the woman's shoulders fell and she caved. "Just… make sure that no one gets hurt. I'm already working myself half to death."

"Things'll improve, I know they will." Tripp assured her, gently placing an arm on her shoulder again and leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I hope you're right," Eleanor admitted. She returned the man's kiss then took a few half-steps back - as if she was already trying to brace for bad news by distancing herself from him. "I love you."

"Love you too, hon." Tripp smiled. Eleanor brushed her dark bangs out of her face, let her fingers rest on her cheek thoughtfully for a moment as she looked at Tripp with her deep brown eyes, then turned and walked away, having to force herself not to look over her shoulder.

The two remaining took a moment, then Javier broke the silence.

"Who's on this raid, then?"

Tripp shrugged. "Me… Scott, Brian… Dave has thrown his metaphorical and literal hat into the ring. Then there's Vicky and Brad. Don't need too many; don't wanna leave Richmond undefended."

"We've got plenty of men on the walls," Javi told him. "If you wanna take more than… _five _people with you… just say the word. I've got your back."

"Honestly, Javi. It'll be fine." Tripp absentmindedly grabbed his pistol from the back of his pants and checked how much ammunition he had.

Javi held out his hand. "Well, you're the boss. Eleanor _will _kill you if you come back undead, though."

"I damn well should hope so." Tripp chuckled, slapping his palm into Javier's and clenching his fist. Javier had to fight the urge to groan; Tripp had one hell of a handshake. "I'll see you on the flipside, bud."

"You got it." Javi smirked, but as he attempted to reclaim his arm, Tripp lurched him closer.

"While we're here, who's got Rosie?"

Javier racked his brains for a moment - while Tripp was in a meeting and Eleanor dealt with the injured, their child had to be left somewhere. A grin quickly spread across his lips as he recalled the answer.

"Babysitter." he replied. "She's in good hands."

Tripp nodded approvingly. "Good. Ain't leaving her with Jax again - not after he got hammered and fell asleep on the couch, the bastard. Anyway - I'd best get going."

Without another word Tripp released Javi's hand, turned on his heel and strolled briskly towards the gate. His companions for the upcoming journey were already beginning to show their faces - Javi hoped it would go as smoothly as Tripp seemed to believe, not as drastically as Eleanor had.

Javi took a moment, then he twisted around aiming to head back to his apartment. After such a dull, exhausting meeting he was hoping to grant himself the gift of sleep, but as he attempted to escape the square he was flagged over by David, who was leaving the church.

"Tripp's heading out already." Javi told his brother, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the gates. "Wanna get that equipment back as soon as possible."

"Good." David responded bluntly. He broke into a walk, hunched over with his hands in the pockets of his gilet, and jerked his head as if to ask Javier to follow him. "But we need to talk about who's going to Jackson."

"You wanna go?" Javi asked. David's expertise in field combat would surely come in handy, and he had a natural gift for commanding soldiers after all these years.

"That's the thing." David murmured, avoiding Javier's gaze. "I gotta stay here. We need as many people at Richmond as possible, and I want to make sure everyone toes the line."

"So…"

"The people are gonna think we're hiding from our duty if we all stay here. I need you to go."

Javi was taken aback. _"Me?" _It had been a long time since he'd been sent on a mission - definitely over a year - and the thought of it made his stomach judder with nerves.

"Blanche is going too."

A slight relief - Blanche could keep a level head. Outside of Tripp, she was probably the only council member Javi would want to be out there with; David was admittedly fairly unstable, and Os was too lax. Come to think of it, leaving Richmond under the watchful eyes of David and Os was fairly worrisome in its own right, but even if Javi wanted to switch places David would never hear of it.

"All right," Javi grumbled, still not completely happy with the plan. "I'll do it. But only 'cause I'm getting bored of the same four walls."

Orange autumn leaves crunched under the brothers' feet as they walked down a nearby street. Residents were wrapped in warm clothing - scarves, heavy coats and hats - as they lazily patrolled the streets. Several soldiers were attempting to secure a fallen wall of sheet metal that had been damaged a few days ago by a pack of the undead. Javi could hear one questioning whether reinforcing the barricade with wood was a novel idea, but another contested that if the Delta attacked with fire someday it'd spread uncontrollably. A mother and daughter watched on, hand in hand, until one of the soldiers broke away from his comrades. Clearly clocking out from a shift, he crossed the road to the mother and daughter, and crouched so the girl could wrap her arms around his neck. The sight made Javi's gut lurch with realisation and he turned in the direction of his brother.

"You know when she catches wind of this she's gonna want to come."

David didn't even look around to catch his eye. "She's not. End of story."

Javi knew it wasn't worth arguing. David wouldn't back down - and honestly Javi couldn't blame him. They had so little family left that they had to protect what remained.

A familiar apartment block came into view as the brothers turned into a side street. Stopping on the street corner, David exhaled sharply.

"Not coming in?" Javi asked.

David shook his head, still refusing to make eye contact. "Nah, nah. Gotta round up some more folks for the scouting party."

Javi folded his arms, slightly annoyed. "She'd wanna see you before me, y'know."

"I doubt it."

David turned and walked away, not even bothering to hide the action of withdrawing a hip flask from the pocket of his gilet and throwing his head back to take a swig. With the speed David knocked the alcohol back, Javi was uncertain if he'd even tasted it. Glowering disapprovingly, he pulled a key from his jacket pocket and jammed it aggressively into the lock in front of him.

Pushing open the door to the apartment building Javi made the familiar climb up the rackety staircase, taking note to avoid a collapsed step that had not been mended in years - war was more important, and it could not be avoided like the staircase could.

His arm did most of the work; he hauled himself up the stairs with each grip of the banister, grunting with exasperation as he did so, eyeing the mold-covered wallpaper as it seemed to appear less decrepit and peeled the further he ascended. And soon, he reached the landing. Several apartment doors sat along the hallway in various states of disrepair, one bust off its hinges and another propped against the opposite wall leaving its doorway wide open for anyone to enter.

Rescuing another key from his jacket, Javier faced apartment 14 but looked down the hall to David's dwelling. His brother didn't live alone in number 18, but Javi somehow knew the place would be empty in favour of his own. Realising now that his apartment would already be unlocked if this were the case - and it most surely was - he pocketed the key and pushed against the apartment door with the tips of his outstretched fingers. Unsurprisingly, the very-much-unlocked door swung open as if blown by a gust of wind.

Lacking the will to close the door behind him, Javi stumbled forward into his unkempt apartment and collapsed face-first onto the torn leather couch.

"I-HEY!"

Javi instantly found himself rolling sideways off of the couch, landing between it and the glass coffee table with a dull thud that winded him. Vision blurred and fixed on the ceiling, he tried to catch his breath as the face of his niece loomed over him.

"Watch where you're falling, dummy."

Disoriented, Javi attempted to blink the blurriness out of his eyes multiple times then sat up and rubbed his head. Hauling himself back onto the couch, he let his shoulders sag as he looked to the occupant of the other seat.

"Sorry, Mari," he apologised, "Didn't realise you'd be there. I knew you'd be in the apartment, just… not where my face would be."

"Kinda have a habit of lying face down as soon as you get through the door, then, huh?" Mariana chuckled.

"You're taking up a lot more space than you used to, too, kid."

He was definitely right. Back when they first showed up in Richmond Mariana had barely reached his upper arm in height, but she was steadily getting taller - the top of her head just above his shoulder and she was threatening to get taller. Despite that, her face had not changed much; she still had her familiar plucky grin, still had an age-old walkman around her neck and kept her brown hair tied back in a cut-off ponytail, her bangs tucked under a headband given to her by a long since absent mother.

But something in Mariana's appearance still troubled Javier after three years. On the left side of her head was the horizontal strip of a scar that carved a faint groove along her hair and over her ear. It wasn't the existence of the scar that bothered Javi so much as the fact that Mariana was evidently insecure about it, styling her hair in a desperate attempt to cover the scar and the hairless patch it had created.

"Still trying to hide this?" Javi pressed, reaching over and brushing Mariana's hair out of the way to better view the scar. "Thought it looked kind of badass myself."

Mariana gently slapped his hand away. "Leave it." She murmured firmly. "Sometimes I'm fine having it show. Sometimes… it reminds me of what happened, y'know..? That whole week. Kate… Gabe..."

Javi nodded, lips thinning as he tightened the corners of his mouth and looked away in remembrance. Kate had been David's second wife, Mariana's stepmother. The same day Mari had earned her scar, Kate had been shot in the chest and killed.

Gabe, meanwhile, had been Mariana's older brother and despite their differences the two had never really been at each other's' throats. He had died not long after Kate; deciding Javier was no good for his children and had gotten Kate killed, David had attempted to drive away with his children whilst a zombie horde ravaged Richmond - only to crash and knock himself unconscious a few miles later. Locking his inanimate father and panicked sister in the car, Gabriel had tried to defend them from the undead in the hope help would arrive in time. Fortunately hope _did _come as Javier caught up to them, but only after Gabe was long since bitten and too far gone for a successful amputation.

Understandably, that week had done a number on Mariana - as well as David, who blamed himself for his son's death. Some days, a dark voice deep within Javi found itself agreeing with that notion, but he tried to drown it out.

"Don't worry, kiddo, I get it." Javi admitted, hunching forward and resting his elbows on his knees, letting his hands fall limply between his legs. "That was a bad time. Don't wanna forget it, but… don't wanna remember it either sometimes."

"We've had this conversation a lot, in a lot of different ways." Mariana recognised, placing her cheek in her hand as she leaned against the armrest of the couch. "I don't think it's ever gonna change or get better, so we might as well talk about something else."

Javier didn't feel comfortable about just letting the emotions stew and perhaps return uglier than before, but Mariana was often stalwart in her decisions - much like David - and he knew that if he tried to pursue the topic she would simply not reply. So it was best to just talk about something else, and Javier knew there were a couple of things that needed discussing.

"Rosie okay? Tripp asked after her."

Mariana looked at him out of the corner of her eye, pouting slightly. "Yeah, she's… she's fine. Sleeping most of the time now, but she's found my music." She lazily gestured to the headphones around her neck.

"Hope she doesn't break 'em."

Mariana shrugged. "I've been through all the stuff we've found. I've fixed them up enough times not to have to worry. It's only the tapes that can't be replaced."

"I could lend you some of mine. Got a player I haven't used in a drawer somewhere round here."

"Please, God, do _not_. I can only deal with so much late-seventies garbage."

Javi lightly tapped Mari's shoulder with a fist. "It's _not _garbage. Besides, what do you listen to - greatest hits of 1997?"

"It reminds me of my mom, _**okay?!**_"

Mari's snappy response came as a shock not only to Javier, but to herself as well - as evidenced by the wide-eyed sharp intake of breath she took immediately after speaking. Unable to look her uncle in the eye, she placed her elbow back on the armrest of the couch and pressed her forehead into her hand.

"Sorry, Javi. I just-"

"No, no it's fine, I totally get it."

"I- just it's all I have left, y'know? I didn't mean to bite your face off about it. If I can listen to the songs, it's kind of almost like I can remember what she looked like."

Mariana gasped again, but this time it was more from pain than embarrassment.

"You can't remember anymore..?"

This time she was able to bring herself to look at him, but the smile she wore was forced through a trembling lip and watery, reddening eyes.

"Yeah, she… she's been gone a while. Definitely since I hit my teens."

"Damn." Javi wasn't sure how to respond. He'd never been a good father-figure - that was half of the reason he'd never had kids of his own. The other reason, naturally, was that roving gangs of corpses had proved to be a very good distraction from extending the family tree. "You okay, Mari?"

Stupid question.

Mariana got to her feet and rubbed her eyes, seemingly fighting her body as it threatened to break into tears against her will. "One of those days, y'know..? Memories, the scar, my stomach… all kinda working against me right now."

Javi rested a hand on the shoulder of the girl's sweater, and attempted to give her a reassuring smile in spite of the fact he felt like he was forcing it too hard. "Take some time off, kiddo. I'll deal with Rosie if she wakes up."

Apparently the gesture had worked, as Mariana wrapped her arms around his back and pressed her head into his chest.

"Thanks, Javi," she smiled. Though her voice was half muffled, Javi definitely heard her choke back tears. "I'll make it up to you."

Javier calmly returned the embrace, letting his cheek rest on the top of her head. They waited for a few seconds, then mutually decoupled.

"Go on," he grinned, jerking his head in the direction of the bedroom. "Bed's better than the couch even if the mattress is complete garbage. I'll start food in a bit if you want some."

Mari nodded wordlessly, a more honest smile creeping onto her face as she turned on her heel and headed for a nap. Javi watched her leave, resting his hands on his hips, then stared at the door for a while after his niece had closed it.

He wasn't sure how Mari was still so well-behaved in such a shitstorm of a world, but he wasn't complaining.

And goddamn, he'd do anything for that smile.


	3. Chapter 3

The afternoon passed with painful sluggishness. Mariana remained asleep in Javier's bedroom, but the toddler she had been babysitting woke up after an hour or two and began demanding all of his attention.

Though Rosie's looks were the perfect blend of her parents' she took after her father in attitude, babbling relentlessly and pestering Javier to play with her. It wasn't long before Javier found himself sitting drowsily against the wall, rolling a ball towards the far wall and watching Rosie hobble along to catch it each time it rebounded.

He hoped Eleanor would be able to finish her shift soon and pick up her daughter, but injured soldiers required much more attention than a toddler did in a war, and Eleanor seemed fairly distant from her family as it was.

Scooping Rosie up under the armpits and holding her at arm's length, Javier looked into the child's brown eyes and hummed to himself.

"Just get passed from one person to the next, don't you?" He asked her. "That's no way to live."

Rosie didn't seem to understand the depth of his words, instead leaning forwards and attempting to grab his nose with her pudgy hands. Unable to suppress a grin Javi tilted his head away so that she couldn't reach him, then sat the toddler on his right knee.

"This'll get ya," he smirked. Reaching Rosie's own nose with his left hand he tucked his thumb between his index and middle fingers then sharply drew it away. "Got your nose, kid."

Rosie looked at his hand for a moment, slack-jawed, then slapped both hands to her face to check her nose was still there. She giggled to herself for a moment, then let her face crease into a grimace - evidently annoyed she had been tricked. Balling her little hands into fists, she tightened her shoulders and cursed Javi's joke.

"Not funny!" She pouted darkly. "You're mean!"

"Didn't mean anything by it," Javi shrugged, tousling the girl's hair. "I saw your face, you totally found it funny for a second." Rosie continued to pout and folded her arms angrily.

Javi lazily eyed the child again. His babysitting skills had not matured over the last decade - the last kid he'd watched over before Rosie was Mariana when she was a toddler, while David was far away at a military base and her mother, Grace, was busy at work, leaving _cool uncle Javi _to look after the kids. Being a professional baseball player had its upsides, and having a lot of spare time between training and games was one of them.

He wondered how Rosie would grow up - would she be well adjusted and cool-headed like Mariana, or would she grow more unstable with no knowledge of life before the undead outbreak or outside the walls of New Richmond? Being passed around like a hot potato probably wasn't doing her any good in regards to forming attachments, but Javi could hardly consider himself a child psychologist.

She seemed normal enough, though. At least, nothing stuck out; she wasn't overly quiet or excessively loud, didn't have any odd tics or habits that raised a red flag… maybe he was looking into things too much and she'd grow up perfectly fine.

Javi's attention was drawn as the door to his apartment swung open. Knowing he was barely visible sitting between the counter and the outside wall, he pulled Rosie back into his chest and stood up to see David poking his head through the threshold, around the door, eyes flaring with recognition as he spotted Javi.

"Seen Mariana?" He asked.

"She's taking a nap." Javi explained, nodding in the direction of his room as he bobbed Rosie up and down in his arms. "Needed to sleep off some bad vibes."

David stumbled into the room unceremoniously, slamming a large paper bag carrying something cubic onto the counter to his right. "Yeah, don't we all."

"Come on, dude, don't be like that." Javi grimaced, closing the gap between them - almost using Rosie as a shield to deter David from acting up. "She's your daughter, don't you care that she's having it rough right now?"

"Course I care!" David snapped, nostrils flaring like a bull's as the whites of his eyes flashed aggressively. "She's the only kid I've got left. Just wish she'd show me some shred of appreciation for what I'm doing - fighting a whole goddamn war."

Javi breathed loudly, intending for David to hear how annoyed he was. "It's 'cause she wants to help." He admitted. "She stays away from you because she knows she'll only be disappointed every time she asks to help against the Delta."

"Oh, so I'm the bad guy for keeping her safe now?"

"I didn't say that." Javi contested. "She's a teenager. It's how they are - they wanna do everything they can to spite their parents and look to anyone who can give them an out to do what they want. Mari's definitely not the worst I've seen. Not by a long shot."

David continued to glare at his brother for a moment, hands balled into fists, threatening to throw the same sort of tantrum Rosie had thrown moments earlier about her missing nose, then relaxed his shoulders begrudgingly and remained silent. Javi watched him for a moment, then let his eyes fall on what had been placed on the countertop next to them.

"What's in the bag?" He asked softly.

David shrugged. "Heather gave it to me. Wanted you to try it before anyone else."

Javi smiled warmly to himself. Heather was another member of the council, a no-show at their last meeting as she was uninvolved with the politics of war; instead, the woman was in charge of the New Frontier's agriculture. Javi liked her - she was one of only a few people left in Richmond whose hackles weren't permanently raised, and she _had _promised him a 'surprise' a few weeks ago.

Curiously reaching for the bag, Javi awkwardly made an opening with his free hand - the other still supporting Rosie as she clutched onto his neck - and suppressed a shudder as a welcoming smell hit his nostrils.

"Dude." He gasped, looking from the package, then to David, then to package again. "Is this shit for fucking _real?_"

David glared at him, then at Rosie. Javi immediately swallowed his words guiltily, then murmured "Don't tell Eleanor she heard those words from me."

He swore he almost saw David crack a smile, life returning to his brother's dark-ringed eyes for only a moment. But his attention was quickly recaptured by Heather's gift.

"But seriously -" he asked. "Is that freakin' _bread?"_

"I've never seen someone so excited to see bread in my life."

"Dude, _bread. _This is actual, honest-to-God _bread_. I could- God, I could _kiss _Heather."

"I doubt she'd object to that."

"Shut up."

Javi held the loaf of bread in his left hand as if it was a precious artefact, then attempted to nudge Rosie's head from over her shoulder in the direction of the food. "Kid, look," he told her. "You're gonna taste this and think it's the food of the gods."

"What is it?" Rosie asked sleepily, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Bread, kiddo."

Rosie slowly reached out with a finger and poked the crust of the loaf nervously, immediately drawing her hand back as if its surface was white hot. She pouted for a moment, then made a conclusion: "Hard."

"Yeah, it's hard on the outside. You cut it up and it's soft on the inside."

"Look, I hate to break you two up while you talk about some goddamn bread for an hour," David interrupted, "but I'd like see my daughter."

Taking the hint, Javier nodded and held Rosie out for David to take. "I'll go wake her," he told him. "She'll probably take it better from me, plus I can tell _her _about Heather's god-given gift, too."

David didn't respond. As he crossed the room to the bedroom door, Javi noted how drastically David's features had softened the moment he'd taken Rosie and how captured by her presence he was. The man looked a decade younger, murmuring in baby-language to the child and rocking her without thought. Rosie even seemed to prefer David to Javi, falling limp in the former's arms where she'd remain stiff and awkward in the latter's. Despite his many, _many _flaws, David was so much more of a natural father than his brother was.

Being asked to wake up had not made Mariana exceptionally pleased, but the promise of a foodstuff she hadn't eaten in just over seven years made her perk up fairly quickly. The Garcías - plus Rosie - found themselves sitting at the bar in Javier's kitchen, two on each side, tucking in to the bread raw as none of them could find anything to make a decent sandwich with. Not half an hour later the whole loaf had been devoured by the four of them, Rosie was again asleep, and the remaining trio were still hungry for more.

"I'm sure Heather will bake another." David reassured the other two. "Now that she's made one, it'll surely lead to more."

Between caring for Rosie and finally seeing Mariana for a substantial amount of time, the elder García brother's mood had picked up significantly even if he _did _maintain his usual blunt intonation. What Javi couldn't help but notice, however, was how David insisted on sitting next to his daughter, and how every so often he placed his hand possessively on her shoulder - like they were children again and he was paranoid that Javi was trying to steal one of his toys.

Perhaps detecting this, Mariana excused herself and headed for the bathroom. David watched her go, then leaned over the bar, resting his forearms on the table so his face was uncomfortably close to Javi's.

"She's acting weird. Did you tell her about heading out to Jackson?" He accused. Javi felt the words burn through David's gritted teeth. Angling himself backwards so that the proximity of David's forehead to his own stopped making him feel claustrophobic, he held his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"I didn't tell her shit. She came in, we talked about what happened three years ago and then she went to bed. Nothing was said about Jackson. Didn't even mention what Tripp's doing."

His words must have been laced with audible honesty, as David instantly snapped back to a more relaxed state. "Good," he told him. "'Cause she's still not going. If I have my way she's never gonna leave Richmond."

"That's… kind of a terrifying notion." Javi pointed out. "You can't keep her in this place like she's your prisoner. She's gonna want to help, so why not let her join in on a scouting mission with little risk instead of armed combat?"

"_Because, _Javi, she's _my _daughter and _I _know what's best for her."

Javi casually grabbed an age-old beer can - probably stale by now - and cracked it open. "Yeah, that domineering attitude is definitely what's best for her." He murmured coolly.

The fingers on David's left hand curled into a white-knuckled fist. As they were alone in the room, Javi decided it wasn't a good idea to continue being smart with him - not that he would consider it in front of Mari or Rosie anyway.

"I am _just… _trying to protect what's _left_." David growled. "Just let me _do _that."

"I-"

"You _know _what they do to kids in the Delta, Javi," David pressed on. "They kidnap them, and brainwash them, and put guns in their hands and make them shoot their families dead because they _know _we're better than them and won't kill kids. I can't let Mari outside of the walls if that's what we're up against, because I'd rather she hate me and still be my goddamn daughter than the alternative."

Javi was torn, but found that there was at least some sense in David's argument even if he didn't like it. He watched his older brother rise from the bar stool he was sitting on and grab one of the old beer cans for himself.

"So I want you to get some bed rest and leave for Jackson early tomorrow. It's a pretty long drive, so you'll need the morning to gather what you need. I'll be down the hall, so if my daughter plans on ever coming home tell her I'll leave the door unlocked."

With that, David wordlessly swayed through the door, leaving Javi to stare confoundedly at the empty paper bag that had once contained the now-devoured loaf of bread.

Javi wasn't sure he liked how often David seemed to be nursing the bottle. First the hip flask outside, now another can of stale beer. If his habits remained unchecked they could lead to trouble, and Javi was uncertain he wanted to leave Mariana nor Rosie alone under David's watch. Rosie, for one, had been left under the care of a drunkard once already and Javi didn't need reminding how that had turned out. David had been in his element at the start of the conflict but now… it seemed to be wasting him away. Every day he neglected to shave, every day his hair got a little greyer, every day he was drinking a little more-

"So, Jackson, huh?"

Javi jumped bolt upright in his seat, Mari's voice breaking his concentration. Looking sharply over his shoulder and nearly straining his neck, he shot a tired glare in her direction.

"Mari…" he began exasperatedly, "...That's not something you should've heard."

Mari was leaning coolly against the corner wall behind him, arms folded over her chest, one leg crossed over the other with the toe of her boot resting on the tiled floor. A wry smile was painted across her face, fully aware that she'd heard something she wasn't supposed to.

"Too late, I've heard it now. I want to come."

Javier shot a cold look at his niece. He should have known that Mariana would have been within earshot in the bathroom - in fact, she had probably been feigning an excuse to go in in the hope that David and Javier would have a catch-up regarding the earlier council meeting. After all, they'd often had to shoo her away when she tried to walk in to meetings with them, and once she realised she wasn't allowed inside she'd started finding hiding places from which she could listen in, or conveniently place herself a short distance away from council members as they spoke. Javier didn't see much harm in her overhearing the daily goings-on in Richmond, but the mission to Jackson was overstepping the mark.

Standing up, Javi closed the distance between them and put his hands on Mariana's shoulders as if to shake some sense into her.

"Mariana, David would _kill _me if something happened to you - and that's _not _an exaggeration."

"Nothing's going to happen - I heard my dad; he said it's a scouting mission. It's not like you're going out on the front lines."

"Even still, there are no guarantees. There are still as many stiffs out there as there were on day one, if not more. You saw the herd that took down that barrier a couple of days ago, surely?"

Mariana's eyes widened with recognition and understanding, but still she didn't back down from her argument. "Why can't you trust me..?"

Javi grimaced. "Don't try and guilt trip me, kid."

"You know I can handle myself!" Mariana pointed out. "We were on the road from when I was seven to when I was ten."

"I _know _that, but you being able to handle yourself doesn't mean I have to let you come on this scouting… _thing._"

Mariana broke from his grasp, span on her heel and paced across the room so that her back was facing him. Folding her arms and looking down at her feet, she murmured in a much less perky tone.

"I'm gonna go crazy here, Javi." she said. "I get that it's safe - I _appreciate _that - but it's like a prison. Being shut in like a criminal; dad doesn't want me on the walls as lookout. I'm just trapped in this building, with just… a three-year-old for company. And what happens if we _are _overrun? I'm probably rusty as hell; I haven't so much as killed a walker in years - I'd be a goner in minutes!"

Javi pressed the fingers and thumb of his left hand to his forehead and ran it down his face with strain. He understood Mari was trapped under David's iron fist, but was that not a price that she had to pay to remain alive? Or was it just a poor excuse for a life - without fresh air, trapped between the same walls and the same streets she'd seen in for the past three years?

"Is it…" he began. "Is it just 'cause you wanna get outside?"

Mariana looked over her shoulder, sorrowful brown eyes scanning her uncle for any suggestion that he might allow her to come with him. "I want to help. I just want to help someone instead of sitting here taking advantage like… trapped in this building like fricking Rapunzel or something."

Sighing with exasperation Javier backed up and sat down on the bar stool again - eyes pressed shut and brows furrowed with stress. "I just, I can't let you…"

"Javi," Mariana began. Javi opened his eyes once more and saw his niece facing him directly, balled fists at her sides, feet shoulder width apart, standing stalwart and determined. "You can trust me. I won't die, I won't get bitten. I have _skills _you might need - I know first aid, I know how to amputate bites, I know how to drive, how to use a gun. Just trust me on this and I'll stay right by your side and do _everything _you say. Just let me… help the New Frontier."

Javi hated that her list of skills made him even consider it, and Mariana _had _always been trustworthy on the road - sometimes more so than Gabe or Kate had been, but…

"David would never allow it." He concluded.

"He doesn't have to know I've gone." Mariana contested, folding her arms again. "He'll sleep in until noon, and I heard him say you're leaving in the morning. He'll be on the walls the rest of the day; he won't even bother looking for me."

"What about Rosie?" Javi asked, nodding in the direction of the bedroom. "Just gonna leave her here on her own?"

"Heather's babysat before." Mariana noted.

Javi groaned. "You've got this all figured out, haven't you?"

"I'll admit some of it was thought up on the spot, but I've been thinking about taking an opportunity like this longer than you'd think."

"And what if I say no..?"

Mari smirked. "I'll find a way to sneak along with you guys anyway; you know how many times you've caught me outside a council meeting when it's already too late. Like it or not, I'm _gonna _come."

Point well made.

Javi again got out of his chair, turned around and rested his hands on the counter. "Swear to me," he said. "Swear to me that you'll do everything I tell you to do. That you won't get yourself bit, or killed, and at the first sign of trouble you _get to safety. _Leave me behind if you have to."

"I swea-"

Javi stomped across the kitchen tiles and jabbed a finger accusingly into Mari's chest. "Swear on papá and mamá. And Héctor. And Kate. And… and Gabe."

Mari's eyes widened in shock. Aggression was not Javi's strong suit, but he could release his "_inner David"_ if the situation was dire enough. The girl's face fell into a recognisable mask of both remembrance and sorrow, eyes heavy-lidded. For a moment she looked as if she might sob at the thought of their mutual losses, but she quickly regained her resolve and glared back up into Javi's face - matching his stone-faced glower.

"I swear."


	4. Chapter 4

That night Javier barely managed any sleep. The thought of what might happen with Mariana coming on the scouting mission haunted him - kept him awake, unable to make himself comfortable. With his blankets he was too hot; without them, too cold.

David would kill him if something happened to her. He'd have to run away from Richmond and never look back- _no_, he would return and face the music as it would be on his own head. Execution would be what he deserved.

But maybe he was underestimating Mariana's capability-? Of course he was. She'd survived when she was much younger, sometimes by herself. She'd have no trouble handling herself on a scouting mission surrounded by Frontiersmen; particularly if Jackson was empty. It was just a scouting party… _just_ a scouting party. He had to convince himself of that; that everything would be fine.

It didn't help that he could hear Mariana snoring softly on the couch in the other room - she'd stayed with Javi so she could avoid waking David when they got up to head out on the mission. Hopefully she was correct in assuming that David would sleep in until noon… knowing how much alcohol he had knocked back the day prior it was entirely probable that he would wake with a hangover and hide under the covers, but it wasn't a guarantee. Javier and Mariana would have to sneak out to do something Javi wasn't even sure he believed to be the best course of action.

But Blanche would be there… she could probably wrangle some of the better soldiers to scout the place out too. They'd be safe. They'd have to be.

Groaning as the two halves of his mind battled against each other, Javi folded his pillow over his face and crushed his eyes shut, desperately trying to force himself to stop thinking about it and get some rest. By the time he blacked out from exhaustion, he was certain that light was already breaching the thin curtains on the other side of the room.

* * *

"Javi! Javi, get up!"

Javier slowly pushed himself into a seated position, resting on one elbow while wiping his eyes with the other. The dry, heavy weight under his eyes told him he'd barely seen any sleep and was in desperate need of more, but the look on Mariana's face told him she wasn't going to let him get any.

"Wh… what time is it..?" he asked.

"Six." She responded, tapping her watch. "I've checked on dad - he's still out cold."

"You're sure about this..?"

Mariana didn't respond, her proud posture indicating she was still very serious about going on the journey. She had already kitted herself out in a blue hooded jacket with a fur-lined hood, jeans, brown boots and an assortment of belts and holsters around her waist.

She quickly left for the adjoining room and beckoned him to follow her. Pulling his jeans on over the shorts he'd worn to bed and struggling with his aviator jacket, he ran the heel of his hand up his forehead and wiped his bangs to one side.

"Just... don't get too excited, kid. This isn't a game, okay?"

After a rushed breakfast which Mari had already prepared, Javi took a toilet break and then double checked their bags were stocked up on the essentials; water, food, ammunition, first aid equipment. Following this he loaded his pistol and holstered it in the belt at his hip while Mari double checked the sharpness of a hunting knife by lightly running it along the palm of one of her fingerless leather gloves. Javi gave her a look to indicate that doing such a thing was _not _the best idea and she quickly stopped and slid the weapon into a sheath tucked under her jacket.

"Here," Javi sighed, passing her a relatively small pistol - a Walther PPK. "You're gonna want this."

Mari's expression was torn - she looked as if all her birthdays had come at once, but also seemed daunted by the weight of the responsibility. She looked up at her uncle with her wide eyes, and he continued to stare at her, stone-faced and cold.

"Show me you know how to use the safety." He demanded.

Mari quickly toggled the safety off, then back on to demonstrate she knew what she was doing, swiftly checked the magazine was loaded, then pressed it back up into the weapon with a flawless movement of her palm. She looked back at Javi, searching for approval, and was surprised when she saw him cocking an eyebrow at how well trained she was.

"My dad might try and keep me in Richmond," she admitted, leaning over and holding the back of her jacket up so that she could tuck the pistol into the waistband of her jeans, "but to his credit he did teach me to use a gun properly. And safely."

"Hope you don't have to use it." Javi smirked weakly, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. Mariana mimicked his movements, then dashed into an adjoining room and returned with the brown-haired toddler that was Rosie - still asleep - in her arms. She quickly lay the child on the couch and then reached into a pocket in the inner lining of her jacket, searching for something.

"We need to drop her off." she explained. "Heather's already offered."

"How do you figure?" Javi asked. "You haven't even left the apartment to ask…"

His face fell as his niece held up an all-too-familiar radio that she'd retrieved from her coat, a sly grin sneaking onto her face. "I know all about your secret channel, Uncle Javi." she smiled. "Anyone can listen in on that thing if you know where to look… let's just say Heather was surprised to hear _my _voice instead of yours."

"Give me that!" Javi snapped, snatching the walkie and clipping it to his belt next to his gun and his own survival knife. "And don't tell David, or I'll..."

"So I can tell Heather's brother?" Mari asked sweetly, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I'm sure he'd _love _to hear the stuff you two chat about. Oh, the things I've heard."

"Shut up." Javi growled, lightly but lovingly tapping the girl on his shoulder with a weak fist. He attempted to fold his arms angrily at her, but was taken aback when she wrapped her arms around his torso in a fierce embrace.

"Thanks for letting me come, Javi," she murmured. "I'm… really glad you trust me."

Javi awkwardly patted the top of his niece's head, then let his hand rest in her hair. "Just… don't make me regret it, okay?" he asked. "I need ya to promise me that, kiddo."

"I promise." Mari agreed. "I won't do anything to make you second guess bringing me along. I'll stay right at your side."

"You better had." Javi affirmed, releasing the teenager and giving her an encouraging pat on the back. "Come on, kiddo. Grab Rosie and we'll head down to the main gate - whoever else Blanche has recruited for this thing might already be waiting."

* * *

At the far west of the safe zone sat a lonely old high school, long since disused even by the New Frontier. Javi had once been held here as a prisoner, but it now stood as a testament to the fact imprisonment was not a luxury the Delta were afforded. Javi sometimes still came out this way to practise baseball on the field, but it was overgrown and the pitch markings had long since worn away. He often felt himself itching for a good game, but it was unlikely he'd ever be able to recruit enough players or even find enough equipment to play properly.

As they had headed out to the square, Mari had silently leaned in the direction of the school and Javi instantly knew why she wanted to go there. The two now found themselves tucked in a serene, solitary alleyway down one side of the building's western face, heads hung as they faced a row of wooden crosses dashed with chipped white paint.

Kate had been buried miles away, near where she'd died, but at least one grave was still accessible to the Garcia family. Javi held Rosie to his chest as Mariana crouched in front of an all-too-familiar marker and lightly pressed her palm to the grass in front of it as if she was checking for a heartbeat.

"Hey, Gabe," she said. Even years on her voice was still uncertain and carried a mournful hollowness through the air as she spoke. "It's, uh... it's been a while, huh? I know I don't come out this way often any more, but… I haven't forgot. I don't think I ever will.

"Javi's here with me; he's still alive as usual." She shot a quick, shaky smirk at her uncle before turning back to the grave marker. "Dad's around too, but I think he's probably come to see you in his own time. I'm trying to do my best to keep our family safe, just like you did for me and dad, and it means I'm going out on a mission with Javi today. He didn't want me to come, but I knew _you _wouldn't back down - you'd want to help more than anything because your heart was always in the right place even if your head wasn't sometimes - so I had to come."

She leaned back and took a shuddering breath. Javi saw her cheeks glint as the cold morning light reflected off of her soft tears, her eyes red, but did not say anything. He did not want to interrupt; this was a precious, intimate time and Mari needed it to herself.

"And it's not just because you'd do it, either…" she continued, placing her hand on one arm of the wooden cross at the head of Gabe's grave. "I want to protect what we've got here because _I _want to. It's too much to let go, and I know it's dangerous, but I need to help Javi and Dad fight the Delta - someone needs to look after them, after all.

"I miss you, Gabe. The hurting, it… feels like it's worse now, I think because… I'm the same age now as you were back when it…" she sighed and wiped one of her red cheeks. "...Back when you died and it's weird knowing what sort of stuff was going through your head. And soon I'm going to be older than you ever got to be and it's just… not fair, you know? That you didn't get to get older than this…

She grinned, but it was the flawed, pained grin of someone who was trying to hide how they felt. "Remember… do you remember those arguments we'd have as kids and one time I said… '_just wait 'til I get older than you!' _because I was so young - and you'd always be like… _'I'm always gonna be older than you, I was born first, idiot!'..._? It's weird thinking how that was just dumb kid stuff and I was all smug about it, but now it kind of hurts to think that back then I didn't know I was gonna be right…

"So yeah," she continued, aiming to round off the one-sided conversation. "I'm gonna need your help on this one, bro. I need you to keep an eye on me and Javi while we're on this mission and lend us your strength - and some good luck if you've got any spare. Wherever you are, I know you haven't left us.

"Dammit, Gabe," she breathed, patting the arm of the white cross as if it was her brother's shoulder. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?"

She knelt there in silence for a good few minutes, hand still on Gabe's cross, as she attempted to compose herself. Javi heard the tell-tale sniffs and chokes of stifled sobs, but he did not approach or attempt to comfort the girl. Over their many visits to the grave site, he had come to learn that it was best for Mari to deal with her brother's death herself, and that interrupting would only distract her and stop her from healing naturally.

It had been so long since Gabe had died, but despite their differences the two siblings had been incredibly close; his death had destroyed Mari for a good long time. Three years had gone by since Gabe's passing, but Mari was still worse for wear over it.

Gently, Mari leaned forward and pressed her head against the centre of the cross and closed her eyes, trying to fight back her sobs.

"_Te amo, hermano."_

* * *

Following their visit to the grave site, the uncle, niece and their infant companion quietly made their way through the leaf-littered street to the courtyard next to the settlement's gates. Mercifully Rosie was snoring away in Mariana's arms, and Javi raised an arm in greeting as he saw a few figures gathered around the front gate. One person, Blanche, noticed him, and their wave in response alerted the rest.

"How're we looking?" Javi asked, placing his hands in his jacket pockets - again feeling that poker chip token in his right. "Everyone here?"

Blanche lifted her left hand, scratching just below the dirty blonde bun that sat atop her head. "Just waitin' on Max." Out of the corner of his eye, to his right, Javi noticed a distinct mask of disdain form on Mari's face at the mention of the name as Blanche's glance shifted in her direction. "I hope… they're not coming?"

Javi looked down at Mari, who was still carrying Rosie, then glanced back to Blanche. "Heather's coming to get Rosie; Mari's coming."

"You sure?" Blanche looked at him, an all-too-blunt expression of disapproval plain on her face.

"We've been through all that already." Javi told her, waving a hand dismissively. "She's gonna keep at my side and not get in the way." He nudged Mari with an elbow. "_Aren't _you, kid?"

Mari nodded. "You won't even know I'm there."

Blanche sighed as if she had no energy to argue. "Just don't get murdered." she shrugged. "I'm not taking responsibility for your death if David goes on the warpath."

Turning, Blanche gestured for the others to gather round and greet the two Garcias.. Having spent three years in Richmond they recognised everyone at least vaguely, but knew some better than others. A man in a camouflage jacket by the name of Cal strode forward and warmly clapped a firm hand to Javier's upper arm, greying eyebrows wrinkled in a delighted expression, then lightly ruffled Mari's hair as he walked back to a blue pickup truck and a green van just by the gates - both of which the group was planning to use for the trip.

Boris, who resembled an overgrown baby on steroids with his completely bald head and pale blue eyes, remained leaning against the pickup and merely nodded, grunting a "'Lo" in greeting as he kept his attention firmly on whatever it was he happened to be smoking. A middle-aged woman, Anthea, was sitting in the open driver's side of the car attempting to repair a homemade bow and barely paid them any mind, merely glancing through her dry brown swathes of hair with similarly coloured eyes. Isabela, a young latin-american girl with pitch black hair tied in a braid over one shoulder, was sitting on the bumper of the green van. She quickly waved excitedly before returning swiftly to sharpening a spear.

Mari caught Javier's eye, concerned, but the two were quickly distracted by rushed footsteps behind them.

"Sorry, fellas," breathed Max, hunching over to catch his breath. "Went and overslept. Thought you were gon' leave without me."

"Wish we could have." Mari growled spitefully. Max shot her a look, nervous, and Javi quickly positioned himself between the two.

"This li'l squirt's comin'?" Max asked, almost scoffing at the idea as he scratched his wide, blocky jaw. Mari's glare only intensified as she sidestepped Javi and stared daggers at the man.

"What," she asked, instinctively jabbing a finger at the bullet graze scar on the left side of her head, "planning on finishing the job?"

Max raised his hands as if to absolve him of blame. "That was all on Badger, hon. I din't do nothin'. Besides, it was three years ago and your uncle here? He punished Badger for what he done."

"Served the bastard right." Javi breathed absentmindedly, then quickly snapped back and placed a hand on Mari's chest to stop her advancing on Max, who quickly backed away from them both and headed over to the rest.

Both Javier and Mariana glared after him - they had bad blood with Max. Before joining the New Frontier Javier and his family had been attempting to siphon gas for their van, but it turned out that they had been unknowingly stealing from Max's unit. The leader, a sadistic asshole who went by the name Badger, had been the one to both skim Mari's head with a bullet and kill her stepmother, Kate. Javier had later confronted the man and a fight ensued - Badger had him on the back foot, but Javi managed to turn the man's shotgun on him and gave into the rage, bashing his head in with a baseball bat while he was incapacitated. He wasn't proud of killing him, but neither he nor Mariana could dispute that they were glad he was dead. As Max had been part of the proceedings and had aided Badger to boot, the Garcias were not fans of his - even after all these years.

"What'cha thinkin', Javi?"

Javier was drawn out of his trip down memory lane by a familiar voice. As he looked over his shoulder he found a smile grow on his face at the sight of Heather, who was striding towards them and had apparently somehow noticed the vacant expression on his face from behind.

The two indulged in a friendly hug, Mariana making a barely audible noise of disgust beside them, then Heather stepped back and waved politely to Rosie, who was seeming to stir in Mariana's arms. Turning her attention back to Javi she ran a hand across her forehead, swiping a stray lock of red hair out of her freckle-dusted face, and smiled awkwardly.

"So, uh, your niece knows about the radio, huh?" She asked, ears turning pink with slight embarrassment.

"Seems so," Javi grinned - it was best to find the humour in the situation and play it cool in his eyes - then said "Doubt she heard too much." to which Mariana interjected with "Oh, I've heard a _lot _about-"

"What did you think of the bread?" Heather asked, rushing to interrupt before Mariana could finish, her fairly thick eyebrows threatening to fly off of her head with how high she raised them. "Took a while but once we got the mill working it was all set. We're gonna start making more as soon as possible, and then we can start batch producing! It's the next step to becoming entirely self-sufficient!"

Javi smiled again and rested his hands on his hips. "See, David thought I was weird for being so excited about the bread. It was great, by the way - thanks for letting me taste first. And I admire the passion."

Heather gave him a sly smirk, eyes glinting as they reflected the rising sun. "I thought we could afford to lose you if any of the ingredients turned out to be majorly toxic."

"Asshole. Just so you know, Rosie ate that bread too."

Heather's mouth fell open and she quickly darted to gather the toddler out of Mariana's arms. "And how did _you _find it?" she asked in a sugar-laced voice. "Did you like Heather's baking? Maybe I can make some more for you soon! You can come and see the mill if you like! We built it all from scratch, and..." she looked back at Javier and Mariana, face flushing even more. "Don't mind me," she apologised. "Just, kids and all. I get carried away."

"Well, at least she's in good hands." Javi grinned. "Just don't let her get…" he held his open hands in front of his stomach to mime some serious weight gain "...on your baking, okay? I don't think Eleanor would appreciate it."

"I'll watch her diet like a hawk." Heather responded, shooting Javi the briefest of winks. "You two be safe out there, okay? Especially you, Mariana. We all know your dad would go mad if anything happened."

"Uncle Javi is on the case." Javi announced, puffing out his chest. "But Mari's capable. I trust her to hold her own - even if I doubt we'll get into trouble."

"I hope not." Heather replied. "Don't get killed, Javi - I really don't want to have to go through all the effort to find someone to taste my baking again. Oh! Maybe I should try and get something finished before you come back!" She shifted Rosie into one arm. "I'll see if little miss here wants to help."

"Looking forward to it."

Heather held out her free arm in a fist and Javi bumped it with his own. "I'll see you soon-ish." She smiled, turning so that Mariana could reluctantly fist-bump too. "Save travels, you two."

On that note, she turned away and crossed the square again, looking over her shoulder and giving Javi a half-wave once she was about thirty feet away. Javi awkwardly responded in kind, feeling his throat tighten, then turned around and started towards the two vehicles.

Leaning over the side of the pickup to hide his face, he couldn't help but feel eyes burning into his side. Squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a shuddering breath, he quickly glanced to his right to see Mari with one elbow on the side of the truck, cheek in her hand, smiling incredibly smugly at him.

"Javi, your face is all red." She told him.

"Is it-? No… no it isn't!" Javi protested, choking on his words.

"Man, and I thought you were smooth. You're a mess."

Javi shot her a defensive look. "Maybe I'm getting second thoughts about bringing you along."

Mariana held up her hands in surrender and quickly backed off, but she couldn't help snickering to herself.

"Okay, people." Blanche called. "Hope you're all ready; it's about time to set out. This trip's gonna take a couple hours, and I don't want to hear any 'Are-we-there-yets.'" She quickly glanced at Isabela, who swiftly ceased sharpening her spear and looked around guiltily and wide-eyed.

"Let's not waste time on seating arrangements." Blanche continued. "Boris and Anthea, you two are in the pickup. Max, you're with them. Rest of us are in the van; I'm driving, Isabela's gonna be up front with me so she can read the map, rest of you are in the back."

The team quickly divided into their assigned groups and dumped their various bags into their respective vehicles. Chucking his backpack into the green van, Javier was fairly certain he heard Max complaining about having to sit out in the cold as he hopped into the blue truck bed and folded his arms, sulking like a toddler. He was also fairly certain a bulge in Max's coat was concealing something untoward - likely his 'insurance' if the Delta showed their faces at any point.

"Glad we're not with him." Mariana pointed out, climbing into the back of the van and taking a seat on the left of two makeshift benches that sat against either side of its interior. "We got lucky there, huh?"

"Pretty sure Blanche heard you mouthing off at him." Javi told her as he hauled himself up and inside, then waited for Cal to climb in too before closing the doors behind them. "She's a smart lady, she probably doesn't want any more trouble than she needs."

Cal murmured an 'amen' under his breath as he took a seat across from Mari, who had already scoured her backpack for her walkman and was busy untangling the wires that connected the headphones to the tape player. Javi sat down next to her and didn't have to wait long to hear the sounds of car doors closing up front.

"Guys up top are opening the gates." Blanche told them. Javi's mind quickly envisioned the gantry that sat atop the large metal gate of New Richmond, from which guards could see everything that arrived and left the city. "We're heading out."

Javi heard the woman turn the ignition and the engine roared into life. The muffled clanking of the metallic gate being winched up outside was heard, then the finicky process of Blanche putting the vehicle in gear before they finally felt a lurch of movement. The van began to roll out of the gates and down the street, closely followed by Boris, Anthea and Max in the pickup.

Giving Mariana one last look out of the corner of his eye, he offered her a nervous tight-lipped smile - but her eyes were already closed and she was softly drumming her hands on her knees to the tempo of the music on her walkman. He sighed and looked down, staring at the metal floor beneath his feet.

There was no going back now.


	5. Chapter 5

Most of the journey to Jackson passed with a quiet unease. Javi managed to will himself into a light slumber, only disturbed when Blanche and Isabelas' murmured voices echoed into the rear of the van as they debated over the map. Mariana continued to listen to her walkman next to him, while Cal flitted between checking the groups' weapons and burying himself deep in a beaten old copy of _A Storm of Swords _that he had clearly read at least a hundred times over, holding it in tightly in his left hand while his right lay softly at his side.

Blanche stopped the van twice on the trip, opening the van doors and refuelling both vehicles in the small convoy from some large plastic containers that were tucked away at Cal's side, allowing everyone to stretch their legs and alleviate any cramp that had formed over time. Javier took the opportunity to again test Mariana's mettle, sparring with their sheathed survival knives until they got overzealous and simply began seeing which of them could punch the other in the shoulder hardest. Javi held back on bruising his thirteen-year-old niece's arm, but the same could not be said for Mari, who left her uncle feeling somewhat dead on his left side by the time Blanche herded them back into the van. For the last leg of the journey, Javi kept rubbing his arm which prompted Cal to ask Mariana to hit him with all she had; he barely reacted to the attack and Mari had to question him several times to find out why. The man pulled open his jacket to reveal a nasty, deep burn scar and explained he'd goaded her into hitting him somewhere he had notable nerve damage. Mariana was initially displeased by the trick, but the two eventually found themselves chatting and she meekly showed him her bullet scar.

"Be proud of it," Cal told her. "Not everyone can say they got shot in the head and lived. Me? I just left the stove on and fell asleep on the couch. Next thing I know my arm don't work nearly half as good."

Despite the fact Javi had told Mari to embrace her scar many times, it seemed that the sentiment only really meant something when coming from someone whose own injuries were comparatively worse. For the rest of the drive Mari kept her headphones around her neck and her walkman turned off, speaking to Cal about how they'd both dealt with their scars and how they'd prefer them over the infectious bite of the dead any day of the week.

By the time they finally made it to their destination the blurred urban greys and browns outside had long since faded to the greens of the country. It was well past noon - the trip would have taken less time if they'd not had to make major diversions due to poor road maintenance or to give unforeseen herds of the dead an extremely wide berth - and daylight was quickly disappearing over the horizon, but this would hardly be a disadvantage. If Jackson was occupied, the cover of darkness would protect the eight Frontiersmen.

The two vehicles pulled offroad and drew to a halt. Javi gave Mari a quick uncertain look, trying to read her emotions and hoping she did not feel as nervous as he did. Blanche pulled the back doors open exposing them to the fading light of the late afternoon.

"Gear up, people," the woman ordered. "We're walking the rest of the way. If Jackson's occupied, we don't want 'em finding out we've got vehicles they can steal. I'm not gonna drain the tanks, 'cause we might need to make a quick escape."

As he jumped out onto the worn asphalt, Javi slung his backpack over his shoulders and double checked that he had a metal baseball bat - his 'signature weapon' - hooked into one side of the bag. He managed a quick grasp of his surroundings as Blanche thrust an assault rifle upon him. The two vehicles were parked side-by-side in a small copse just ahead of a lonely, run down house. It must have looked nice in its prime, but the building had fallen victim to a collapsed tree that had cleaved through its roof and upper floor like an ax through a zombie's head.

"Spot David pointed out on the map is two and a half miles due west." Blanche continued, hands on hips. "If we move steady and account for a couple… distractions… we should be there in 'bout an hour."

Javier was grateful someone knew what they were doing - Jackson was seemingly a large tract of land and he hadn't thought to ask his brother for specifics. If Os was here in place of Blanche, they'd be screwed before they even got started.

Blanche wordlessly lifted an assault rifle of her own, turned, and began walking back onto the forested main road expecting the rest to follow. Boris and Anthea fell into line behind her, walking side-by-side, then Max and Cal leaving Javi, Mari and Isabela to bring up the rear.

"No guns unless you really can't avoid it." Blanche warned. "If Delta's here we don't want to ring their goddamn doorbell. Just keep your blunt weapons out in case we happen to run into some uglies out here. They _do _seem to love the country for some reason."

On command, Javi slung his rifle over his back and withdrew his bat while Mari tucked her pistol into her waistband and unsheathed her survival knife glancing around edgily. Javi recognised that she was finally getting nervous, which at least confirmed she hadn't gone insane and started believing she was invincible while locked up in Richmond.

"So where are we headed?" the teenager asked shakily. For a moment everyone seemed to ignore her, but when she realised no one else was going to answer, Isabela kindly gave the girl a smile and provided one.

"Jackson's mostly a tourist trap." She explained, running her free hand through her ebony hair as she twirled her spear in the other. "Blanche seemed to be set on a resort in the hills. Apparently your dad thinks it's the most likely spot."

"Assuming Delta's not set up an outpost literally anywhere else in the States," Cal quipped. "I don't know what Dave's smokin' but I'll ask if he's got some going spare when we get back to Richmond."

Mari shot a hurt look at the back of the man's head. "My dad doesn't smoke."

"Nah," Javi mumbled, "Just drinks." Mari glared at him, and he responded with a wry grin.

"Keep it down." Blanche warned them from the head of the pack. "Don't wanna attract more of the dead than we absolutely need to." She paused, then looked over her shoulder. "We should think about staying off this road. We're too exposed out here."

With that, she listed heavily to the left, stepping off of the mossy asphalt road and down into a slight dip provided by the sunken ground. The rest of the group followed, and as he jumped down into the gutter Javi noticed that the edges of the road themselves were cracked and worn without maintenance, threatening to simply drop off into the ditch with little persuasion required. That said it was a lesser issue than the dead so he put a hand on Mari's shoulder and motioned her round to his right so that he was exposed to the woodland on their left, and made a point of glancing into the trees every few seconds in case something undesirable was starting their way.

The group marched tirelessly and silently for several minutes before they came across their first obstacle; a junction at the end of the street. Blanche paused behind the cover of a broken down car to check the map for directions to the resort as Boris, Anthea and Max spread out to survey the area.

Javi, Mari, Cal and Isabela hung back with Blanche, some with their eyes on the direction they'd come from to make sure they weren't being followed, the remainder scanning the other three as they patrolled in case something tried to sneak up on them.

It was a typical T-junction; their pathway breaking onto an adjacent road providing them the option to turn left or right. Visibility was low, surrounded on all sides by dense trees and undergrowth, and the left pathway was heavily closed off by several rusty, dilapidated cars and wooden panels that ran the entire width of the road, only coming to a stop when they met with the stone wall opposite the group. From down here, Javi could glance through the pine canopy above to catch a fleeting glance of a far off ski-lift; presumably their destination.

"Whaddya think?" Anthea asked, lowering her bow and staring at the barricade almost venomously. "D'you think it's Delta?"

Boris scratched his chin as he crouched in front of the barricade, examining the bottom of one of the wooden panels. "Hard to say," he grunted gruffly. "Whoever put it up, they did it a long time ago. Got some ivy startin' to grow on up these here panels. Watch my ass, I'm gonna go check the other side in case there's somethin' worth seein'."

With that, the large bald man leapt deftly over the hood of one of the cars and walked up and down the width of the odd construction. Javi concentrated, listening for any noises but all he could hear were clangs as Boris kicked something metallic on his side.

"Ain't shit round here," the man announced. "Just the same as your side aside from some sheet metal and-"

The man's words were cut off and warped into a strangled yelp as something pulled out his legs from beneath him. Anthea half yelled his name before regaining her composure and masterfully jumping the barricade. Hearing the sounds of struggle, Javi gave Isabela and Cal a look that told them to keep an eye on Mariana, then leapt into action himself.

Dashing forward towards the barrier, he dodged around the first car in the row to find Boris on the ground, leg being dragged under one of the cars by a gnarled, rotting hand. A glint of dull, whitened eyes told Javi that one of the dead had surprised the man - out of sight under the vehicle - and Anthea was having trouble aiming for its head as Boris's leg was in the way.

Throwing his bat to the ground, Javi advanced on his ally and grabbed the man under the armpits aiming to pull him clear of danger. The corpse under the car put up a decent enough fight, but in the end its rotting flesh was no match for Javi's strength and Boris was dragged away from the monster, tearing its arm from the socket in the process. As he was pulled to safety Boris gave a choked cry and Javi glanced over the man's shoulder, stomach dropping as he caught the sight of blood. Dreading to think that Boris had been bitten, he let the man go and dashed around to find an unwelcoming red fluid leaking from the man's trapped leg.

Anthea quickly dropped to the ground, landing on her side, and fired an arrow into the head of the beast. Remaining on the ground for a moment she scanned the dark mouths under the rest of the barricade, then pushed herself to her feet and ripped her arrow from the skull of her kill.

"He bit?" she asked bluntly as she looked at Javier and Boris, the latter of whom was still on the ground resting on his elbows. Neither of them gave an answer, instead tuning into the sound of approaching footsteps as the others caught up.

Exhaling in annoyance, Anthea crouched in front of the man on the ground and lightly slapped his right cheek with the back of a leather glove. "Earth to Boris, do you read me?" she called sharply. "I asked you if you were fucking _bit._"

Boris released a shuddery sigh and pulled up the leg of his pants as he glanced back at the barricade. "Naw," he told her, showing his hairy shin as he spoke. "I ain't bit, when García pulled me clear a bit of metal got me good. I ain't bit, probably just got tetanus or some shit."

Anthea glowered at the cut, chin in her forefinger and thumb as she perused the damage, until finally she appeared satisfied at the explanation and nodded. "Yeah, that's too neat of a cut to be made by a walker. You best be able to walk." she growled, before addressing the rest of the group. "Anyone able to patch him up?"

"Right here!"

Javi was somewhat delighted to see Mari rush to Boris's aid, swinging her backpack from her shoulder and unzipping it haphazardly. After diving into the bag's contents for a moment she pulled out a roll of bandage, a clear box of tape-like white strips and a plain white bottle with tiny writing on its label. She shot a look at Javi and nudged her head in Boris's direction. Recognising that she needed his help, Javi dashed to her side and she handed him what looked like a folded up leather belt, stapled on both sides.

"Make him bite down on that." she whispered. "He's gonna want to if he doesn't want to draw more."

Amazed at her proficiency, Javi did as instructed and Boris took the makeshift implement in his mouth as the girl silently unscrewed the lid of the white bottle. Without word, she tipped some of the clear liquid inside onto the Boris' wound, making Javi jump with pain as the man's fingers dug into his forearm. Glancing at Boris he noticed he had an extremely strained expression on his face - cheeks pink, eyes red and bulging, teeth bared. The look lasted for a moment until he spat the leather thing onto his chest and growled "The _fuck _was that, you little shit?"

"Peroxide." Mari shrugged, now reaching for the container of white strips. "Needed to disinfect you or you could end up kissing that leg goodbye anyway - Anthea, can you hold the sides of the cut together?"

Anthea did as she had been requested and Mariana set to work, using the white adhesive strips in the clear container to pull the edges of the wound back together as the older woman held it closed. Once that was done, she cut part of the roll of bandages with her knife and tied them securely around the man's leg, then pulled the leg of his pants back down over it.

"All done, big guy." She told him. "Try standing up. Put some weight on it."

Boris crawled out from under Javi, Mari and Anthea as they loomed over him, then shakily pushed himself into a kneel, a crouch, and finally stood up. He seemed to wince slightly as he rested on his bad leg, but quickly seemed to regain his composure.

"Stings like a motherfucker." he growled, clutching his thigh with both hands before shooting a vaguely warm look at Mari. "But… other than that it ain't too bad - should be able to keep going on it."

"You owe me." Mari smiled back, cocking an eyebrow at the man. She then turned her attention to Javi. "Happy you brought me along yet?"

Javi deliberated for a second, then nodded softly. "Good job, kiddo. Didn't know you knew that sort of thing."

Mari shrugged. "Spent some time in the infirmary with Eleanor when we were really desperate for more bodies. Looks like it was worth it. Besides, I _did _tell you I know how to amputate a bite. A bit of rusty metal is nothing." Behind her, Boris grumbled something to himself that seemed to sound like_ "Try it yourself, then."_

Anthea merely scoffed at the situation, clearly not impressed, then walked over to join Boris. Javi watched the two of them idly for a second, then looked over at the rest. Isabela and Blanche were staring at the map, Cal had approached Mari to congratulate her quick work and Max was studying the barricade with a grim expression on his face. Wondering why he seemed so troubled, Javi approached him.

"What's up?" he asked, causing Max to jump in surprise. He looked at Javi from the corner of his eye, then turned back to the barricade.

"This shit's definitely Delta." Max noted shakily, his right hand sneaking through the gap in his jacket and gripping tightly on whatever was inside. "That's one of their tactics; hide some nasties in the barricade and then just leave it for some unlucky sap to go and get bit once they get too curious."

Javi rubbed his chin. "You seem to know a lot about this."

"Well, they went and got it from us, din't they?"

Javier cast his mind back; when he and the New Frontier had been at odds, the frontiersmen had indeed used walkers as a weapon - crashing through settlement gates in a truck loaded with the dead, then setting them loose on the people inside. For the most part they had long since cleaned up their act under new management - though Javier had heard disturbing things committed by far off Frontier outposts and 'contractor' bandit groups they employed to keep the territory safe in return for supplies - but the Delta seemed to play dirtier and dirtier so maybe it was worth going back to their roots.

His train of thought came to a halt as Blanche joined them and Max informed her of what they had discovered.

"Glad we've got evidence." The woman grunted, sounding none too pleased despite the hopeful information. "Map says we need to take this left turn past the barrier anyway, so it's possible they've left a breadcrumb trail of the things all the way up to wherever they're hiding. Makes our life easier, but we'd best be careful - don't want _World's Youngest Surgeon_ over there bandaging up a leg every few hundred feet."

She waved for everyone to start following after her again as she marched ahead of Boris and Anthea. Once again Cal and Max followed them leaving Javi, Mari and Isabela to bring up the rear.

The evidence supported David's theory about Jackson. If it wasn't still used by the Delta, it had seemingly been one of their outposts in the past. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting cold feet about the whole thing; Boris's brief near-death experience had started anxiety brewing in his stomach, and he hoped it was not a bad omen for what was to come. What would he do if that was the case - let Mari get closer and closer to the potential danger? Tell her to flee on her own and put her further in harm's way? Run away with her like a coward?

He supposed cowards often survived longer, but Mari would probably refuse to leave if their allies were in trouble; she'd want to stay to aid them however she could, be it via combat or her apparent medical prowess.

The thought lingered on his mind as the group continued uphill, obscured in the treeline alongside the mossy roads of Jackson, and pangs of worry punched him in the stomach each time he caught sight of anything that could be perceived as evidence of the Delta's presence. The others seemed to cope fine; Blanche, Boris and Anthea were stone cold and emotionless, Cal periodically attempted to strike up conversation, Isabela was chatting animatedly with Mariana - presumably praising her quick thinking.

Max was the only person who seemed unsure. Like Javi, he was glancing around shiftly, right hand concealed in the breast of his jacket, constantly fidgeting with his pistol. Javi knew that Max had been out here before, that he had been face-to-face with the Delta, and had no idea why he'd offer himself up for the mission... perhaps it was because he thought a scouting mission would be easy pickings (to be fair, this is what Javi's mindset had been in regards to bringing Mariana), but it was looking more and more like that would not be the case.

Trying to distract himself, Javi cast his eyeline wide but only felt a lump form in his throat and his grip tighten on his bat as he read a roadside sign:

**WINTERHAVEN RIDGE**

**Holiday & Year-Round Ski Resort**

**1.5 miles**

As if hoping not looking at the sign would make it any less true Javi threw his head in the opposite direction only to find himself staring at Mariana - who was perusing the the sign herself with what appeared to be a nervous anticipation. Before she could catch his eye he turned his face and instead tried to focus on Cal's camouflaged back hoping she wouldn't notice how anxious he was about the whole affair - that was the last thing they needed right now.


End file.
